Safety • AssembJy • Operation • Adjustment • Maintenance A Transmatic OR'S • TroubJeshooting • Warranty MANUAL Lawn Tractor- Models 760=779 iMPORTANT READ SAFETY RULES AND iNSTRUCTiONS CAREFULLY BEFORE OPERATION Warning: This unitis equippedwith an internalcombustionengineand shouldnot be usedon or nearany unimprovedforest-covered,brushcoveredor grass-coveredland unlessthe engine'sexhaustsystemis equippedwith a sparkarrestermeetingapplicablelocalor state laws (if any).
This Operator's Manual is an important part of your new lawn tractor, it will help you assemble, prepare and maintain the unit for best performance. Please read and understand what it says. Table of Contents Slope Gauge ....................................................... Safe Operation Practices ................................... Setting Up Your Lawn Tractor ............................ Operating Your Lawn Tractor ........................... Adjusting Your Lawn Tractor ............................
O O Sight and hold this level with a vertical tree... o _---- or a corner of a building... or a fence post _-- 03 I | | I (b £1. O CZ (_ E _ o>.
) I Jill WARNING: Engine Exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components conta n or em t chem ca s known to State of Ca forn a to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductiveharm. DANGER: This machine was built to be operated according to the rules for safe operation in this manual. As with any type of power equipment, carelessness or error on the part of the operator can result in serious injury. This machine is capable of amputating hands and feet and throwing objects.
GeneralOperation: 14.Watchfor traffic whenoperatingnearor crossing roadways.This machineis not intendedfor useon anypublic roadway. 15.Do notoperatethe machinewhileunderthe influenceof alcoholor drugs. 16.Mowonly in daylightor good artificiallight. 17.Nevercarry passengers. 18.Disengageblade(s)beforeshiftinginto reverse. Back up slowly.Alwayslookdownand behind before 1. Read,understand,and followall instructionson the machineand in the manual(s)beforeattemptingto assembleand operate.
S ope Operat on DoNor Slopesare a majorfactorrelatedto loss of controland tip-overaccidentswhich can resultin severeinjury or death.All slopesrequireextracaution.If you cannot back up the slopeor if youfeel uneasyon it, do notmow it. 1. Do notturn on slopes unlessnecessary;then,turn slowlyand graduallydownhill,if possible. 2. Do not mownear drop-offs,ditchesor embankments. The mowercouldsuddenlyturnoverif a wheel is over the edgeof a cliff, ditch,or if an edge cavesin. 3.
Service 10.Neverattemptto makeadjustmentsor repairsto the machinewhile theengine is running. 1. Neverrun an engineindoorsor in a poorlyventilated 11.Grasscatchercomponentsand the discharge area. Engineexhaustcontainscarbonmonoxide,an coverare subjectto wearand damagewhichcould odorless,and deadlygas. exposemovingparts or allowobjectsto be thrown. 2. Beforecleaning,repairing,or inspecting,makecertain Forsafety protection,frequentlycheckcomponents the blade(s)and all movingparts havestopped.
f" ( f _"'_ "_ --r J _ r-q"-_ k,. _ j ''" "" i Rnnt i |uu_/ LJUUk i I _/ / _ _uhh_r ._ _ _ "-, NOTE Ths OperatorsManua coversa rangeof product ...... j specifications for various models. Characteristics and fea- i I turesdlscussedand/orlllustratedln ths manualmay not be applicableto all models.MTDLLC reservesthe right to changeproduct specifications,designsand equipment ....... w,thoutnot,ceand w,thout,ncurr,ng obl,gat,on.
Shipping Brace Removal WARNING: Make sure the riding mower's engine is off, remove the ignition key, and set the parking brake before removingthe shipping brace. = Locatethe shippingbrace,if present,and accompanying warningtagfoundon the rightside of the mower, betweenthe dischargechuteand the cuttingdeck. See Figure2. li ,, While holdingthe dischargechutewith yourleft hand, removetheshippingbracewith yourright handby graspingit betweenyourthumb and indexfingerand rotatingit clockwise.
f _, Attaching The Seat Seatstyles vary bytractormodeland thereare three --_ _ ,---_-h _ differentstyles available. • StandardAdjustment QuickAdjustment& __d_'l'tlllntll E ||1_ ,' KnobAdjustment "" If theseat for yourtractordid notcome attached,referto Figure4, Figure5, and Figure6 to identifyyourtractor's seat styleand followthe applicableinstructionsbelowto attachit.
Identifying the Mulch Plug (if so • equipped) , , On tractormodelsso equ=ppeda mulch plugcan e=ther be foundwithinthe cuttingdeck'sdischargeopeningor packed separately with your unit. f _ | / , \\ \ _ / ..... ,.... ' X / ......',, / . \_ _, "X Z } | L_J I / _, ! ........ NOTE:Refer to Mulchingon page 19for moredetailed information. Ii If you'dpreferto operatethe cuttingdeck withoutmulching, simplyremovethe mulch plugby unthreadingthe plasticwing nutwhich fastensit to the cuttingdeck.
\ \ NOTE:Anyreference inthismanualtothe RIGHTor LEFTsideof thetractorisobserved fromoperator's position. \\\\ \ NOTE:Steeringwheelnot shownforclarity,/ Figure 8 1 If so equipped A SpeedControlLever/ParkingBrake E ThrottleControlLever B Clutch-BrakePedal F IgnitionSwitchModule C ShiftLever G DeckLift Lever D ChokeControl1" H PTO(Blade Engage)Lever NOTE:Anyreferencein this manualto the RIGHTor LEFTside of the tractoris observedfrom operator'sposition.
Throttle Control Lever f Thethrottlecontrolleveris locatedon the rightside of the tractors dash panel.This levercontrolsthe speed of the engineand,on somemodels,when pushedall the wayforward,the chokecontrol also.Whenset in a givenposition,the throttlewill maintaina uniformengine speed.See Figure9. "_ FAST _ IMPORTANT:Whenoperatingthetractorwith the cutting deck engaged,be certainthat the throttleleveris always in the FAST(rabbit)position.
Speed Control Lever Thespeedcontrol lever,locatedon the left side of the tractor'sdashconsole, allowsyouto regulatethegroundspeed of the lawntractor.To use,depressthe clutch-brakepedaland movethe leverou of the parkingbrakenotchand forward to increasethe tractor'sgroundspeed. Whena desiredspeedhas beenreached releasethe leverintoan appropriate notchto maintainthat speed. Toslow the tractor'sgroundspeed, depressthe clutch-brakepedal and mow the speedcontrol leverrearwardand releaseit intoa notch.
(Blade Engage)leveris movedintothe engaged(ON) positionwith the shift leverin Reverse. Models with Reverse Caution Mode , With the ignitionkeyin the NORMALMOWING position,the enginewill automaticallyshut off if the PTO(Blade Engage)leveris movedintothe engaged (ON) positionwith the shift leverin Reverse. Caution Mode Light Reverse Stop Position Caution Mode Position © WARNING: Do not operate the tractor if the interlock system is malfunctioning.
Setting the Cutting Height 1. Selectthe heightpositionof the cuttingdeckby placingthe deck lift leverin any of the six different cuttingheightnotcheson the rightside of the fender. I:ing AVOID SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH 2. Adjustthe deck wheels,if equipped,so that they are between1A-inch and Y2-inchabovethe groundwhen the tractoris on a smooth,flat surfacesuch as a driveway. GO UPAND DOWN SLOPES,NOT ACROSS. AVOIDSUDDENTURNS.
NOTE:Whenoperatingthe unit initially,therewill be little differencebetweenthe highesttwo speedsuntilafter the belts haveseatedthemselvesinto the pulleysduring the break-inperiod. Driving The Tractor _ ex-cessive and sudden ARNING: speed Avoid sudden starts, stops. WARNING: Do not leave the seat _ of the tractor without first placing the PTO (Blade Engage) lever in the disengaged (OFF) position, depressing the brake pedal and engaging the parking brake.
Driving On Slopes Referto the SLOPEGAUGEon page3 to helpdetermineslopeswhereyou mayoperatethe tractorsafely. _. __ inclines with a slope in excess WARNING: Do not mow on of 15 degrees (a rise of approximately 2-1/2 feet every 10 feet). The tractor could overturn and cause serious injury. Using Mowing contact or aTo thrown objectblade injury, ARNING: help avoid keep bystanders, helpers, children and pets at least 75 feet from the machine while it is in operation.
,, Do NOTattemptto mow heavybrushand weedsand extremelytall grass.Yourtractoris designedto mow lawns,NOTclearbrush. ,, Keepthe bladessharpand replacethe bladeswhen worn.Refer toCutting Blades on page25 of this manualfor properblade sharpeninginstructions. Mulching (If Equipped) Selectmodelscome equippedwith a mulch kit which incorporatesspecialblades,alreadystandardon the tractor,in a processof recirculatinggrass clippings repeatedlybeneaththecutting deck.
1. With thetractorparkedon a firm,levelsurface,place the deck lift leverin the top notch(highestposition) and rotatethe blade nearestthe dischargechute so that it is parallelwith the tractor. l R 2. Measurethe distancefrom the front of theblade tip to the groundand the rearof the bladetip to the ground. Thefirst measurementtaken shouldbe between 1/4" and3/8" less thanthe second measurement. Determinethe approximatedistancenecessaryfor properadjustmentand proceed,if necessary,to the next step.
S,,y,- brakeis in need of adjustment.Thebrakedisc can be foundon the rightsideof the transmissionin the rearof the tractor.Adjustif necessaryas follows: 1. Lookingat thetransmissionfrom the rightside of the tractor,locatethe compressionspringand brakedisc• See Figure16. 2. Loosen,but do NOTremove,the hex nutfoundon the rightsideof the brakeassembly•See Figure16. 3. Usinga feelergauge,set the gap betweenthe brake disc and the brakepuck at .011". 4.
Performthe abovestepsin theoppositeorderafter oil has finisheddraining. 5. Refillthe enginewith newmotoroil as instructedin the EngineOperator/OwnerManualpackedwith your unit. iMPORTANT:Referto the EngineOperator/Owner Manualpackedwith yourunit for informationregardingthe quantityand properweightof motoroil. Air Cleaner Servicethe pre-cleaner,if so equipped,and cartridge/air cleanerelementas instructedin the EngineOperator/ OwnerManualpackedwith your unit.
Deck Wash System TM A hexplug can be foundon yourtractor'sdeck surface. See Figure21. This plug can be replacedwith a waterport to be used as partof a separately-availabledeck washsystem. Use the DeckWash SystemTM to rinsegrassclippings from thedeck'sundersideand preventthe buildupof corrosivechemicals. NOTE:Referto page 28 for informationregardingthis and otherseparately-available attachments& accessoriesfor yourtractor.
Jump Starting ,_ WARNING: When removing or installing the battery, follow these instructions to prevent the screwdriver from shorting against the frame. maximum inflation pressure WARNING: Never exceed the shown on the sidewall of tire. The recommendedoperatingtire pressureis: ,, Approximately10psi for the rear tires iMPORTANT:Neverjumpyourtractor'sdead batterywith the batteryof a runningvehicle.
Cutting Blades f WARNING: Be sure to shut the engine off, remove ignition key, disconnect the spark plug wire(s) and ground against the engine to prevent unintended starting before removing the cutting blade(s) for sharpening or replacement. Protect your hands by using heavy gloves or a rag to grasp the cutting blade. Your i , ,',g Lawn j Tractor l WARNING: Periodically inspect the blade spindles for cracks or damage, especially if you strike a foreign object. Replace immediately if damaged.
3/8" Tochangeor replacethedeck beltand PTObelt on your tractor,proceedas follows: 1. Lowerthe deck by movingthedeck lift leverinto the bottomnotchon the rightfender. uareHole_ 2. Removethe beltguardsby removingthe self-tapping screwsthat fastenthem to the deck. Maintaining 3. Removethe beltkeeperrod fromaroundthe engine pulley. Your Lawn Tractor 4. Inserta 3/8"-driveratchetwrench(setto loosen)into the squarehole foundin the idlerbracketon the left sideof the deck'ssurface.See Figure26. 5.
i EnginePuny 42-Inch Deck X Idler Bracket Deck Idler Pulleys Figure 26 f Engine Idler Bracket Puny 38=InchDeck X \ Deck Idler Pulleys _., ....
Cleanand lubricatethe tractoras instructedin Section 6: MAINTAININGYOUR LAWNTRACTORon page 19 of this manualbeforestoringfor an extendedperiod. Followthe instructionsin the Service, Storage & Specifications sectionof the EngineOperator/Owner Manualfor properenginecare prior to storingyourtractor. WARNING: Never store the ,_1 Off-Season Storag Attachments an approvedDrain containeroutdoors, WARNING: fuel only into _ away from an open flame. Allow engine to cool.
NOTE:IHBOTH MODE_ _I_EN OpER_TOn L_VESS_T, E_I_EWILL STOP UNLESS P_KI_ _r_K_I_SLT_,D _L_E__R__S_,_ED. IF UNnS_LLSwnHSr_EO ¢OH_ROL INHIGHS_EO,ORIF UNn WILLNOT OPERATE WnHSPEEn CONTROL LE_ IN_ LOW SP_E_ WARNING Th s symbo points out importantsafety instructionswhich, if not followed,could endangerthe personal safety and/or pp yroerr of yourselfand others: Read and follow all instructions in this manual beforeat temptingto operate th!s machine.
Problem Enginefails to Start Cause 1. PTOengaged. Remedy !. PlacePTOknob(or lever)in aisengaged(OFF)position, 'Trouble Shooting 2. spark plugwire(s)disconnected. 2: connect wire(s)to spa!k plug(s)i 3 FUeliankempy t oistaiefuel . 4 Chokenotactiated V 3, F tankwtheean freshgaso ne . 4! Pu out the CHOKEcontro ( f so equipped)or placethe throttle €ontrolin CHOKEpositionl 5' Fau!tYsPa!kP!U g' 5. Cleanl adjust gaPlerreplacel &Blocke d fuel !ine• 7. Engineflooded, 6.
Problem Cause Engine oveiheats Engine0il leve! !ow 2. Air flow restricted. Enginehesitates at high RPM 1: Fi!I Crankcas ewithproPer*0iL Cleangrassclippingsand debris fr0m aroundthe enginelscoo!ing fns and b owerhousng. 1. Removespark plug(s)and reset thegap. !, I Excessive Vibration Uneven cut " 2. 1. Sparkplug(s)gap tooclose. Idles poorly Mowerwill not mulch grass (if Equ pped) Remedy Sparkplug(s)fouled,!aulty O!gap toowde 2. Dirtyair cleaner. i " !.
Useth_spagetomake notes and write down !mportant mformat_on.
Use this page to make notes and write down impo_.nt in_orm.
notes and write down important information.
CALIFORNIA EMISSION CONTROL WARRANTY STATEMENT YOUR WARRANTY RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS The CaliforniaAir ResourcesBoardandMTDLLC are pleasedto explainthe evaporativeemissioncontrolsystemwarrantyon your2006 lawnmower.In California, new lawnmowermust be designed,built and equippedto meetthe State'sstringentanti-smogstandards.MTD LLCmustwarrantthe EECS onyour lawn mower forthe periodof time listedbelow providedthere has beenno abuse,neglect or impropermaintenanceof your lawnmower.
MANUFACTURER'S LiMiTED WARRANTY Thelimitedwarrantyset forth belowis givenby MTDLLCwith respect to new merchandisepurchasedand usedin the UnitedStates,its possessionsand territories. "MTD"warrantsthis productagainstdefectsin materialand workmanshipfor a periodof two (2) yearscommencingon thedate of original purchaseand will, at its option,repairor replace,free of charge,any partfound tobe defectivein materialsor workmanship.
